Rob Gronkowski casually dropped a bomb on Baltimore Ravens fans during his weekly podcast, “Dudes on Dudes,” with Julian Edelman.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end told the story of his NFL Draft experience in 2010 — where he was taken in the second round out of the University of Arizona with the 42nd pick by the Patriots.
That came as a surprise to Gronk, who was under the impression he’d end up as a Raven.
The Ravens held the 25th pick in the first round, but traded back with the Denver Broncos, who selected Tim Tebow.
It seemed Baltimore would get a second shot to select the surefire future Hall of Famer at pick 43, but Bill Belichick and the Patriots traded up to select Gronkowski one spot before.
The Ravens pivoted to Texas edge rusher Sergio Kindle. A combination of injuries and lack of performance led to Kindle finishing his Ravens and NFL career in 2012 with just one tackle.
What Could’ve Been in Baltimore
GettyTodd Heap had an extremely productive career with the Baltimore Ravens, but left a hole when he signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2011.
The timing would have been perfect for Baltimore.
Todd Heap, the beloved tight end from 2001-2010 was nearing the end of his Ravens tenure, leaving a hole Gronkowski could’ve seamlessly filled.
It would take until 2018, with third-round selection Mark Andrews out of Oklahoma, for Baltimore to shore up the position.
There were some bright spots — specifically in 2012, when the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers.
That season saw Dennis Pitta catch 61 passes for 669 yards and 7 touchdowns. Injuries plagued Pitta the rest of his career though and, despite an impressive return in 2016 (86 catches, 729 yards, 2 touchdowns), the Ravens were still without a concrete answer at the position.
The decision to pass on Gronkowski came back to directly bite the Ravens twice in the playoffs.
The Ravens fell to the Patriots, 23-20, in the 2011 AFC Championship. Gronkowski had 5 catches for 87 yards in that game.
Three years later the Ravens again came up short against the Patriots, 35-31, in the 2014 Divisional Round. Gronk was even more impressive in that game, finishing with 7 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Things Worked out in New England
GettyRob Gronkowski paired with Tom Brady on both the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win four Super Bowls.
The Patriots seemed determined to find their tight end one way or another. According to Gronkowski, should he have been selected before their pick, New England would have pivoted to a trade for Chicago Bears former first-rounder Greg Olsen.
Despite falling out of the first round, things worked out pretty well for both Gronkowski and the Patriots.
Paired with Tom Brady, New England dominated the 2010s, earning the pair three Super Bowl rings as members of the Patriots and one more in 2020 with the Buccaneers.
Gronk will go down as one of the best to ever play the position, finishing his career as a four-time, first-team All-Pro selection to go with his 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns.
The Ravens tend to get these things right more often than not, but it’s impossible not to hear this and think: What if?
The Ravens Almost Had This Future NFL Hall of Famer